Complementary Courier Services

Specialty Analytical is an accredited environmental laboratory pleased to offer complimentary courier services in the area of Portland and the neighboring cities of Vancouver, Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Clackamas, Fairview, Wood Village, Troutdale, Tualatin, Tigard, West Linn, Battle Ground, Camas and Washougal.

Shipping Instructions

Here are some tips and information to make shipping samples to Specialty Analytical easy and successful! 

Bottles:

• Make sure that sample bottle lids are fully secure
• Wipe down the outside of sample bottles to remove any dirt/debris
• Fill out labels with a SHARPIE to list the correct sample information (ID, Collection Date, Collection Time) 
• Package glass jars or bottles with cushioning and space to avoid any breakage during the shipping process

Cooling:

• The vast majority of environmental samples need to arrive at the lab between 1°C – 6°C in order to be considered “acceptable” 
• Ice Packs and Ice are the best options for cooling
• Multiple ice packs are needed to ensure everything stays cool. Placing an ice pack on the cooler bottom, on all 4 sides and at the top will help maintain a chilled environment for our samples. Ice pack size should be relative to cooler size
• Loose ice-cubes should be placed in Zip-lock bags to contain melting water and then packed around samples
• A good rule of thumb: the more ice the better!  Imagine a shipping delay when gauging how much ice to use

Packaging:

• Cooler lid should seal/ shut all the way to prevent leaks. Apply tape around the outside of the cooler opening if necessary to secure the coolers contents.  Most shipping providers will not deliver a package that leaks.  
• Be sure to use lots of cushioning for any glass containers.  Bubble wrap is best since paper can absorb water from the melting ice.  
• Place the Chain of Custody form in a separate Zip-lock bag to protect it from melting ice. 
• If shipping in a Styrofoam cooler, make sure that there is an outer box to place it in and that the inner lid is fully sealed.  
• When using custody seals, initial and date, then apply to the outside of the package and cover with tape to secure them.  
• Using packing tape, make sure to tape down both sides of the lid and at least one side gets tape looped around the entire cooler. If unsure, how we send our coolers out to clients is a good example of taping
• If shipping a cooler or sample through a shipping service, place a signed custody seal on the outside of the packaging.